Vladimír Dzurilla
Encyclopedia
Vladimír Dzurilla (August 2, 1942 in Bratislava
, Slovakia - July 25, 1995 in Düsseldorf
, Germany
) was a Slovak
ice hockey
goalkeeper playing for Czechoslovakia
.
Dzurilla, a refrigerator repairman by profession, was goalie for the Czechoslovakian national team for over 16 years, winning three gold, three silver and four bronze medals at world championships
as well as one silver and two bronze Olympic medals. However, in most of these tournaments Dzurilla and Jiri Holecek
were battling to be Czechoslovakia's top goalkeeper and each were given their share of caps.
For North American fans, he is mostly known for stopping 29 shots in a 1-0 win over Canada
in the 1976 Canada Cup
(where the Czechoslovaks finished second).
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
, Slovakia - July 25, 1995 in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) was a Slovak
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
goalkeeper playing for Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
.
Dzurilla, a refrigerator repairman by profession, was goalie for the Czechoslovakian national team for over 16 years, winning three gold, three silver and four bronze medals at world championships
Ice Hockey World Championships
The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
as well as one silver and two bronze Olympic medals. However, in most of these tournaments Dzurilla and Jiri Holecek
Jirí Holecek
Jiří Holeček is a retired ice hockey goaltender who played in the Czechoslovak Elite League from 1964 to 1979, and on the Czechoslovak national team for many years....
were battling to be Czechoslovakia's top goalkeeper and each were given their share of caps.
For North American fans, he is mostly known for stopping 29 shots in a 1-0 win over Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in the 1976 Canada Cup
1976 Canada Cup
The 1976 Canada Cup was an international ice hockey tournament held September 2–15, 1976, in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg and Quebec, Canada as well as in Philadelphia, United States. It was the first of five Canada Cup tournaments held between 1976 and 1991...
(where the Czechoslovaks finished second).